CLICK HERE to share your thoughts on our webinar of August 12th with Steve Hecht on “The Forces Driving Central American Migration”

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CLICK HERE to share your thoughts on our webinar of August 12th with Steve Hecht on “The Forces Driving Central American Migration”

8/12/2021

JEAN CARRUS

8/12/2021 12:10:35 pm

MR. HECHT'S PRESENTATION WAS VERY FORTH RIGHT. I COULDN'T FAULT ANYTHING HE WAS WILLING TO SHARE WITH OUR AUDIENCES. IT APPEARED VERY FACTUAL AND HONEST.

I STAYED UNTIL THE VERY END. THANK YOU WACD FOR A VERY INFORMATIVE PROGRAMMING POLICY.

JEAN C. CARRUS

ben stone

8/12/2021 12:14:20 pm

yes, candid and straightforward......good!!

Michael Gennet

8/12/2021 12:16:15 pm

A very informative presentation from a man in the know. He's an American with a reasonably objective view of a country in which he's been a resident for 5 decades. I respect that.

His honest comments about the country's judiciary were enlightening. I did think he glossed over crime that drives Guatemalans out of their country, in addition to economic opportunities elsewhere, primarily the U.S. While Guatemala may be relatively safer, compared to Honduras and El Salvador, it can still be frightening to families subjected to gang violence.

Thomas Riley

8/12/2021 12:29:59 pm

Excellent presentation, and another example of discovering relevant news and facts you won't find elsewhere. Fascinating story of the coyote interview. Interesting reminder of the five legitimate reasons for seeking asylum in the US (which don't include most Guatemalan immigrants). Insightful observation of the fact that there are more cellphones than people in Guatemala (you don't need the White House or CNN for the latest news, just call your cousin who is on the border now).
As usual Ken did a great job fielding questions then filling in his own to keep it lively and interesting.
Bravo, World Affairs Council of the Desert, and thank you Steve!

Susan Mammel

8/12/2021 08:55:24 pm

Excellent presentation based on experience! Informative!

Charles Porter

8/13/2021 03:55:15 pm

Nice to have an American who has been living in Guatemala for about 50 years. He truly knows the view point of many natives of that country. He confirms what I've been reading of our misguided attempts at cleaning up Central American country politics-both of our parties being culpable. I wonder if anybody in Congress will listen. Dittos to great jobs by President Jim and Program Chair, Ken and of course to Linda for setting up our webinars!!!

JAMES MCFARLIN

8/14/2021 05:39:18 am

Chuck, your comments are right on. In Steve's presentation we received an honest, clear-cut picture of the truth of what is happening in Guatemala and the US that is furthering the rise of migration growth into our fine country. I am going to make our other CA World Affairs Councils aware of his talk and encourage they engage him as well.

JAMES MCFARLIN

8/14/2021 05:47:05 am

Chuck, to continue with my prior comment in a broader sense, this type of program - including our speaker from The Hague, our program on the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement and the upcoming programs from Canada and Singapore exemplify our World Affairs Councils' unique creativity in bringing important perspectives on global affairs to our community.

Linda Borses

8/16/2021 09:53:54 am

Thank you, Chuck, for your kind comments and acknowledgements. We've worked very hard all summer to keep our membership and friends up to date on world affairs, and it's especially rewarding when it's appreciated. Great things promised for the new season so stay tuned!

Allen & Marilyn Shapiro

8/25/2021 11:27:29 am

We viewed this presentation in a delayed mode, using the convenient zoom recording feature via the WACD website.

The discussion and Q&A with Steve Hecht was very illuminating and objective, benefiting from his on-site presence and insights regarding Guatemala in particular and Central America in general.

His critical observations regarding US Foreign Policy and State Department/Current Administration interfaces with key "actors" in Guatemala were very concerning - as well as his reciting of the five valid reasons for seeking asylum in the US. Makes us wonder about the rationale and direction of US strategies and policies regarding "broken" Central America and immigration over the past several decades - regardless of political party.

In sum, a very good introspective picture of the Central American scene, provided by a US businessman, in plain english.

Jim McFarlin

8/30/2021 09:32:21 pm

Thank you for your comment regarding our on-demand programs. This is just one of many innovations we have been making to add to our members' membership value. We will keep it up.

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.

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Hi! My name is Linda Borses and I'm the Director of Operations of World Affairs Council of the Desert. We'd like to use this page to share some of our thoughts and ideas with you and you can share your thoughts and ideas with us. Our goal is to keep our members and friends engaged.

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